Comment by notepad0x90
7 days ago
I was excited when I opened this post, but apparently the author is complaining about this?
Here is a comment I made few months ago complaining about why this isn't a thing already:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46219555
I kept getting disappointed when authors I liked were printing kindle-only or digital only books and short stories, that I would gladly pay extra for the cost of printing. I have no interest in spending what extra time I have in front of a screen. I've tried getting into it, it's just too distracting. Even on a kindle with no network access, it isn't convenient to switch between pages, it feels too much like scrolling on my phone.
The authors says enshittification, but I don't get it, you can still buy original copies. hardcover is the go-to if you want something more authentic, no one is printing those on demand. Pay for those, and let the authors make more money too that way. When I buy paperback, I don't care about all that, so long as the font, page size and other qualities are good (a nice cover won't hurt either).
For some books, they haven't had a publication in too long, and there are no used copies for sale on Amazon, I'd be very glad to get on-demand printed versions.
I tend to buy hardcovers but sometimes it’s not possible. I agree it’s a sure-fire way to avoid print-on-demand.
Like I say in the article, I don’t mind about print-on-demand as such - it’s the fact that these books are not particularly rare, they often come with bad defects, and they are pretty pricey.
it would be nice if they told you that's what it was before you purchase it, that I agree with. I think they do it this way because if it takes too long to ship it, you might not buy it, plus with one purchase, there is usually more. I may have gotten one of those books, but I wouldn't know since I'm one of those people that doesn't care all that much for paperpack, all the books I value I try to get them in hard-cover.